In the wake of Kyle Rittenhouse being found not guilty in his double homicide trial last week, Fitchburg State University in Massachusetts has hosted some “processing” spaces segregated by race for students to respond to the verdict.
In an email obtained by Fox News, the Fitchburg State University Center for Diversity & Inclusiveness announced these “processing” spaces, noticeably mistakingly saying that Jacob Blake had been killed in Kenosha, Wisconsin. In reality, he was just injured in the police-related shooting that spurred the riots that led to Rittenhouse’s incident.
“The Center for Diversity and Inclusiveness is creating space for our community to process the’ not guilty’ on all accounts verdict in the Kenosha, Wisconsin case where Kyle Rittenhouse, an Illinois native, shot and killed two people protesting the wrongful death of Jacob Blake in 2020. Kyle was acquitted of all charges in the case after driving to Wisconsin with an automatic rifle,” stated the email.
The email went on to say that university officials would be providing “virtual and in-person physical spaces” where students and staff will get the chance to “discuss your thoughts, emotions, and reflections.” The tour “processing” spaces are listed as: “Students of Color Processing Space,” “White Student Ally Processing Space,” “Faculty and Staff of Color Processing Space,” and a “White Faculty and Staff Ally Processing Space.”
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A Fitchburg State University spokesperson has since spoken out to admit that “some factual errors were included in the original communication.”
“In the haste of creating these events, some factual errors were included in the original communication,” read the statement. “The intention of the communication was to inform our community as quickly as possible of the optionally available space given the holiday break. These do not change the intent of the gatherings, which is to provide a space for members of the campus community to discuss their reactions and experiences.”
Astonishingly, the spokesperson proceeded to stand by the use of “identity groups,” which it described as a “proven educational strategy.”
“Organizing such discussions by identity groups is a proven educational strategy and reflects the reality that different community members may process such events differently, and may feel more comfortable sharing their feelings with community members of similar background and identity,” read the statement, which concluded by saying that the university is already planning to have a “combined session” for all campus community members to take part in at some point in the future.
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It is odd that the university assumes that white students who may need counseling over an event they aren’t entirely sure about, are in alliance with students of color, and that, white students, who are not allied with students of color’s racist reasons for needing counseling and yet, have emotional issues with which to deal are somehow not worthy of a space to process that need.